A version of the following article appeared in the Monday, October 26, 2026, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with local business-y news and insights for Charlotte, N.C.
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From rising coffee bean prices to labor costs and elaborate specialty drinks, Charlotte coffee shops are navigating an increasingly expensive industry
A regular flavored latte from Night Swim in Oakhurst is about $6 to $7 before tip or milk substitutions. (Photo by Lindsey Banks/The Charlotte Ledger)
by Lindsey Banks
If you’ve recently paid $9 for a latte at your favorite local coffee shop and wondered how a little espresso and milk could cost so much, you’re not alone.
Coffee prices have been climbing nationwide, and Charlotte’s coffee shops are having to adapt. But according to Tanner Morita, co-founder of Charlotte-based HEX Coffee, the higher prices go beyond the cost of wholesale coffee beans.
“We’ve kept our café prices relatively stable while rent, labor, dairy, packaging, shipping and more recently green coffee have all risen significantly,” Morita told The Ledger.
Those rising expenses have forced local coffee shops to get creative about how they make money without driving away customers.
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